Red Sox catching prospect Daniel Flores dies of cancer at age 17

For the second day in a row, the baseball world has been rocked by tragedy.

The Red Sox announced Wednesday that catching prospect Daniel Flores has died of complications from cancer. He was 17 years old.

#RedSox catching prospect Daniel Flores has died due to complications during treatment for cancer, the team has announced. He was 17. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/0BswCic0zh

Flores’ illness had not been reported at all until Wednesday morning, when WEEI reported Wednesday morning that he was dealing with a serious medical condition.

Flores signed with the Boston Red Sox on July 2, garnering a life-changing $3.1 million signing bonus. He was considered the No. 1 prospect out of Venezuela and the top international catching prospect since Gary Sanchez. MLB.com quickly ranked him the No. 5 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, calling him “one of the best defensive catchers amateur scouts have seen in years.”

Flores’ death came a day after former Cy Young winner Roy Halladay died in a plane crash in the Gulf of Mexico.

Whereas Halladay’s passing provoked a series of remembrances of his incredible career, Flores’ death leaves us wondering what could have been. RIP, Daniel Flores.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.